Improvement in automatic spading-plow



licited Stairs dim I time.

FRANCIS L'. GAGWIN,

OF JOLIET, ILLINOIS.

Letters Patent No. 83,456, dated October 27, 1868.

IMPROVEMENT AUTOMATIC 'SP-ADING-PLOW.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and maliing part of thesame.

Be it known that l, FRANCIS L. GAGWIN, of the city of J oliet, in Willcounty, and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful AutomaticSpading-Plow and Stalk-Gutter; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the constructionand operation of the same, reference being had to the amiexed drawings,making a part of this specification, in which-- Figure 1 is a sideelevation;

Figure 2, aplaiie view on the top;

Figure 3, a perspective view of a single spade;

Figure 4, a perspective view of the upright lever c, with rubber spring;

Eigm'e 5, a perspective view of the serrated stop; and

Figure 6, a diagram, showing the several positions of the spades onentering the ground.

Thenatine of my invention consists in the discovery ofa new principle,as well as in the use and combination of certain mechanical devices, toovercome the difficulties heretofore experienced in the construction ofrotary plows or spades, consisting chiefly in the resistance caused bythe spades wedging each other out of the ground, especially if it be alittle hard.

Now, in order to overcome that diflici lty, and to thoroughly pulverizeand overturn the soil, 1 use the spades a, fig. l, hinged to theperiphery of the disk or drum b, as shown by the axles at c, in fig. 3,and held out in place by the upright lovers 0 with springs t.

These spades are nearly in the shape ofa right angle, shaped to answerthe required cut tobe made in the earth, and are set in such an attitudeon said drum or disk, at its periphery, as to out or enter into theground on what- I term'the cycloid line of the heel of ,the spades,entering the ground at all points of contact on said cycloids, theradius entirely discontinuing at the heel or hinge-line, so that the cutof ground between any t'w'o spades will be about the same width at thepoint of the spades as at the heel or entering line.

The point of entry governs; therefore any considerable departure of itfrom the cycloid of the heel or surface to or ii'om a radius line of theheelwould be fatal to give good work, or any work at all, because it isalmost an impossibility to force points on a radius far intothel ground,as they form an adverse A-shaped wedge. 1 r

In conjunction with the said cycloid entry into the ground, there isanother thing necessary to be done in order to insurework, or turningover the groimd, which I call regaining or reinstating the radius of thespades will the centre line of the main druni' or disk, which is 'd neby the traction of the machine, in conjunction with the automatic actionof the lever e, operated by the rubber spring 1, after the spade haspassed the centre, reached its radii, and changed the periphcry from theground-line or heel of the spades to their point, after the heel of-thespade has reached its rest up in the drum or disk, as shown at c, fig.l, and the point let loose from the bottom of the furrow, and is forcedaround to its original cycloid line, which turns the ground over,as-shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a diagram illustrative of the several positions of the spades,both before their entry into the ground, and after. It will be noticedthat they retain the same position with respect to the ground until thetraction of the machine has left them past the centre of the drum ordisk, when they operate as before described. I

The name f, fig. 1, is so arranged as to rest, at its centre, on theaxle of the drum, and is so constructed as to raise the drum, with itsspades, out of the ground, when desired.

It will be seen that by winding upon the Windlassm, a leverage isestablished by the horses pulling on the tongue, the trucks o acting asa fulcrum, which changes the draught-line to any point between the shaftof the Windlass and hinge of the tongue, which has the eficct to elevatethe rear end of the machine, causing the spades to enter hard soilbetter, or, when raised far enough, causes the machine to rest upon thetrucks 0, and lightly on the caster r, at the rear end of the lever 11,which raises the spades entirely out of the ground, the levern beingused more for the purpose of carrying the weight '10 than to sustain theweight of the machine.

The top of the main fi'ame is floored over, and furnished with a seat,hung between two upright standards, so as to retain a horizontalposition at all times.

. Otherwise a side seat on the plow-side, with a platform for theoperator to stand on, may be used in place of the seat.

The part t is used with the ratchet on the inner end of the lever n, tohold the same from the ground while in operation, the pawl beingoperated by the button 2:, attached by means of a cord. Said button isused to keep the inner end of the tongue in place, so the main framewill not tip over too far forward when not de sired.

Fig. 2 is a plane view of the top of the frame, showing its generalconstruction and appearance.

The weight w, on the outer end of the levenn, is used to bear down onthe back end of the frame, which, together with the operation of theWindlass, as described, has a tendency to pull in the spades into theground. The weight may be moved along on said lever'to or from theframe, so as to lessenor increase the weight on the spades.

Fig. 3 is a view of a single spade, shaped as before described, andsharp on the inner edge of the ends, as shown at c, for the purpose ofacting as a coulter, to cut grass or stubble, 800. The prongs or pointsare bevelled on the ends, to better facilitate their en into the ground,and to cut stalks or stubble better than if they were square on theends. The offsets at 1) alternate on every spade, so as to cut the spacebetween the prongs. v

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the upright levers c, with the rubbersprings i. The serrated stop, fig. 5, sets in the corresponding recessin said lever, near the end toward the spades, and is used to set thespade at any desired angle on the drum, the inner points of the heelresting in the angle of the stop; so, as it is set in or out, of coursechanges the position of the spade.

By turning the said stop around, the longest angle of the same will restagainst the triangular guide at the back of the upright lever e, therebyafi'ording a means of preventing the spades from turning furtherbackthan desired.

spades a, from the time of their entry into the ground until the heel ofthe spades .come to a rest up. against the drum or disk I) to any givenpoint, either before or past the hinge-line, by means of the tractionand weight of the machine causing them to turn on their hinge, asdescribed.

3. The backward turn of the spades a from the cycloid entry-line totheir original position, as described, by means of the upright lever eand spring 4, as set forth, regulated to stop at any given cycloid pointby a, hinged to the drum or disk 11, as shown, in combination with aframe, constructed and operating substantially as set forth.

6. The mode of leverage, substantially as described, to force the spadesinto the ground, and to raise them out of the ground, when desired, asset forth.

7. The combination of all the parts described, when arranged andoperating as set forth.

FRANCIS L. OAGVVIN.

\Vitnesses:

Tuos. H. HUTGHINS, A. DEMONEY.

